Police arrest driver who repeatedly crashed into Ballito restaurant
The man drove through the glass doorway at Nikos Coalgrill Greek restaurant after allegedly being asked to leave.
A man was arrested and taken for blood alcohol testing after repeatedly ramming his car into a restaurant in Ballito yesterday afternoon.
The man appeared to deliberately drive into the glass entrance of Nikos Coalgrill Greek restaurant at the Salmon Bay tidal pool following an altercation when he was asked to leave.
Restaurant owner Tania Tsiantos reported that the man had arrived with a friend around 13:00, visibly intoxicated and stumbling down the stairs.
“He had apparently been drinking since the morning and had already been kicked out of two other restaurants,” she said.
Tsiantos mentioned the man became increasingly disruptive, kicking a chair and being rude to waitstaff who told him he could not vape inside.
“He was causing a scene, so we decided it was time for him to leave. We called security, and he left, but soon returned, shouting and banging on the walls like a madman.”
He eventually left again, but not before allegedly throwing a punch at Tsiantos’ husband, Dalton Venter, on his way out.
This led to a brief altercation outside the restaurant, after which the man went to his car around 14:25.
“I was just walking up to check if there was any blood to clean up when I saw him coming down in his car. He drove into the door, reversed, and then hit it again, breaking through on the second attempt,” said Tsiantos.
In a video seen by the North Coast Courier, Tsiantos can be seen running down the stairs as the car crashes into the doorway behind her.
“I ran down the stairs and just shouted, ‘Move’, trying to get everyone away. I feared for my life; I’ve never been so scared. The whole building was shaking; it felt like an earthquake,” she said.
Fortunately, no one was injured, and the man was arrested by Umhlali SAPS and taken for blood alcohol testing at a hospital.
Tsiantos estimated that the incident, including damage to the door, food wastage, and lost business, cost the restaurant around R200 000.
“What a mess this all is. We’ll also need to arrange for guards to watch the restaurant until the door is fixed.”
When the newspaper arrived, staff were still sweeping away pieces of glass outside the doorway.
Umhlali SAPS spokesperson Captain Vinny Pillay confirmed that police are investigating the incident.
“A case of drunken driving and reckless and/or negligent driving will be opened against the accused,” he said.
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